TR: Sorcerer Lodge, Feb/Mar 2022

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Sorcerer Lodge consistently gets mentioned as a must visit hut in BC, so back in 2018, some friends and I booked a trip for Mar. 2020 (such was the waitlist at the time). Fast forward past 2 years of Covid-caused schedule changes and we finally got in a couple weeks ago. The hut sits in a pretty spectacular location, only 15km as the crow flies from Rogers Pass, tucked behind a moraine between two NE facing bowls with views of the Nordic glacier and surrounding peaks.

My bedroom view for the week
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After flying in, unpacking, and the obligatory hut/safety briefing and companion rescue test/refresher, we had time for a couple afternoon laps from the lodge down to the base of the moraine. It had snowed the last couple days before we flew in, enough to pretty much cover the last group's tracks. The moraine zone is mellow angle, but still pretty fun, with sparse trees and a few pillows. The snow quality had us stoked for the week. It started snowing again late that afternoon, and would continue on and off for the next 3 days.

Our first full day we went to west facing tree/slide path zones called the Heppelumps and Woozles. No pics cause I forgot the camera. Fun 300-350m laps and the snow continued to pile up.

By the next day I think we'd accumulated 20cm so the guides opted to stick to the trees right under the lodge. The "stuff close to the lodge" can sometimes be mellow. Not so here - 400m steep N-facing trees with perfectly sized pillows. Some of the funnest tree riding I've done.

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Skin track snack break
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The next day we got our first glimpse of the alpine getting into a N-facing bowl called Shreddies Bowl. Only pics of the up on this day.

Conga line
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Breaking out of the trees
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Shreddies bowl
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We pretty much tracked this bowl out, stacking our tracks from higher and higher up this ridge
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The plan for the next day was to poke further into the alpine into a SE-facing zone named after various scotches, but weather rolled in and put us in the ping pong ball. Our first run down from the lodge to the base of the drainage was the highlight of the day for me.

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Heading up the other side of the drainage
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Vis got progressively worse as we continued.
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My only guiding complaint of the trip was that I would have liked to retreat to the trees on this day instead of pressing on into increasingly bad vis. Midway through our whiteout alpine run, one of our group flew 15 feet off a windlip she didn't see and pretty much got buried upon landing. I would have probably done the same had I not been following her. I was luckily able to get to her fairly quickly and clear snow off her face and help her get unstuck (see video). It was a bit scary.

Tree runs and pillows are sick and all but I wanted to get onto the glacier and into the high alpine. I had started the day really hoping that it would stop snowing. But by the end of this day it had snowed about 50cm in total and it didn't look like it was going to let up. In the morning though, we woke to this:
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The guides deemed it safe to get onto the glacier so we set off for Escargo peak. Bluebird, stoked and about to descend the moraine towards the glacier
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The aptly named Escargo peak on the far right
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Closing in
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The view from the summit of Escargo. Iconoclast on the right
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The ramp descending from Escargo was pretty fun
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The next pitch was decent too
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We then headed to Black Russian col for another 700m lap
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Looking back at Escargo. The ramp we rode on the left
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Down on the lake at the end of the day. A 300m skin back to the hut
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The plan for the last day was to head up to another col, drop down the other side, go around and up Perfect Peak and head back to the hut via the Perfect Valley to complete the loop.

Mandatory stomping out of dicks on the lake before heading up to the glacier
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The previous day's tracks
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Heading up to White Russian col
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The red roof of the hut is visible just behind the moraine at center of the frame. Also visible are another couple dicks we stomped out at the base of the glacier on the left
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Just about at the col. It was really cold in the shade
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As we skinned up to the col, the terrain and snow was so good, I was secretly hoping that we could just ride the 700m N-facing pitch we had just skinned and do laps of the Nordic glacier all day. Turns out stability wasn't satisfactory on the S side of the col, so I got my wish.

An acceptable plan B
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Our last lap of the trip was my fave - a sustained 500m pitch called Critical Thursday

Mandatory just the tip shot of the trip
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This trip was worth the 4 year wait. We completely lucked out on weather with the dream scenario for a week long trip - 4 days of snow in the trees (mostly), followed by a couple bluebird stable high alpine days. The terrain at Sorcerer is sick - an incredible mix of tree/pillow lines and glaciated high alpine. Plus the hut setup was the best I've experienced. Running hot and cold water in every bedroom plus a heater and ample space for drying gear in every room so you're not fighting for drying space in a common room with 11 other people. Our guides Mike, Cara (the owners), and Will were awesome. I've never heard so many "yes"s to "Can I jump off that?" I'll do my best to return.

Looks sweet. Nice pics and report

You guys hit a jackpot - nice pics!

Fantastic looking terrain and solid riding. Nice report!

Fucking hell -- fantastic TR.

Solid stuff Ray, thanks for posting!
Edit: Does Iconoclast get skied much? That looks fucking beautiful

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Originally Posted by nortonwhis

Solid stuff Ray, thanks for posting!
Edit: Does Iconoclast get skied much? That looks fucking beautiful

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Skied Iconoclast on one trip. Tried and failed at Iconoclast S face on a traverse from Rogers to Mica another trip.

Good score.on the weather.

that looks fantastic!
thanks for sharing

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Originally Posted by nortonwhis

Solid stuff Ray, thanks for posting!
Edit: Does Iconoclast get skied much? That looks fucking beautiful

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we were told it happens but not very often. in addition to weather and stability lining up, i think you probably also need the right group. there were a bunch of gnarly lines in view of the hut that it sounds like they don't take guests to as a rule, but i asked about putting a small group together that the guides already knew with the specific intention of hitting bigger lines in the spring and it sounded like we could make it happen.

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Originally Posted by raypruit

we were told it happens but not very often. in addition to weather and stability lining up, i think you probably also need the right group. there were a bunch of gnarly lines in view of the hut that it sounds like they don't take guests to as a rule, but i asked about putting a small group together that the guides already knew with the specific intention of hitting bigger lines in the spring and it sounded like we could make it happen.

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Here's Iconoclast S. We were unsuccessful on it but if you try for spring it'll be better. Attachment 409764

Iconoclast

1st sled ski descent

It was iconic...lol



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Inspiring stuff. Sorcerer is high on my list. The fully catered, guided, 7 day Backcountry Lodges of BC trips for $2500 are a great deal.

Nice, looks like fun.

Osmanthus fragrans tea is a kind of precious flower tea made from exquisite tea billet and fresh

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Originally Posted by teamdirt

Iconoclast

1st sled ski descent

It was iconic...lol



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That Gold River zone has some big relief. Is that where you hang out?

sweet teamdirt. the N face is sometimes done as a tour from the hut. i think mike said the S face hasn't been skied as part of the lodge program. didn't look crazy gnarly when we had a look at it. there was an obvious ramp to ascend/descend. but i can see why it's not part of the regular program

Mega stoke. Nice work!

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Originally Posted by Angle Parking

Inspiring stuff. Sorcerer is high on my list. The fully catered, guided, 7 day Backcountry Lodges of BC trips for $2500 are a great deal.

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USD or CAD? if CAD, i want to know how to get that deal. i paid $3600 CAD

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Originally Posted by raypruit

USD or CAD? if CAD, i want to know how to get that deal. i paid $3600 CAD

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Was Michele your cook? Just saw her posting some stoke from Sorcerer.

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Originally Posted by doebedoe

Was Michele your cook? Just saw her posting some stoke from Sorcerer.

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Yes she was. She was great!

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Originally Posted by raypruit

USD or CAD? if CAD, i want to know how to get that deal. i paid $3600 CAD

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Maybe I'm a bit out of date with the 2500 CAD thing. I did the 7 day Ice Fall lodge fully catered, guided trip in 2019 and at that time all the Backcountry Lodges of BC trips like that were standard at 2500. I could be wrong but I had done research at the time and I was under the impression that that was the case.

https://www.tetongravity.com/story/s...-icefall-lodge

But judging from your pics, 3600$ is a deal as well for that level of stoke!

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Originally Posted by raypruit

Yes she was. She was great!

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She's fuck rad. Inspiration.